Website Migration and New Site Guide

Redesigning and restructuring a website can be a great way to freshen up your brand and help increase user conversions. This isn’t without risk though. From domain names to redirects, title tags to content, there is a multitude of things that can go wrong and damage a site, ending in lost traffic and decreased conversions. Following the instructions below will help sustain your rankings and maintain your current traffic levels.

Initial Considerations

Domain Name

We would suggest sticking to the same domain name on the new site, as well as keeping as much under one domain as possible. This is so that any historic links that have been built will still be pointing to the relevant domain.

You can check your preferred domain availability on websites such as 123-reg.com.

Content Management System

This might be dictated by developers and/or sales methods, but there are many more options than in previous years.
Even if different departments want different CMSs, there will be options for integrations and communications between the two.

If you have tech support in-house this is less important, but ideally, your CMS should allow you to:

• Implement and change Meta descriptions and Meta titles independently
• Implement text and internal link changes easily
• Implement Alt tags on images
• Implement and change H1 and H2 tags independently
• Place permanent 301 redirects
• Upload/replace XML Sitemap and robots.txt

Staging Websites

If a staging website is being used for the build of the new website, make sure that it isn’t indexed to avoid duplicate content penalties.

Password Protection

Blocking crawlers and users from getting to the site through a login is the most effective way.

Robots.txt

Putting a directive in your robots.txt file can block crawlers from accessing the staging site.
This is not 100% guaranteed and users can still see the pages.

NoIndex Tags

These are page-level tags and should be used as a last resort if needed.

Site Build

Your site should be built in a language easily read and crawled, ideally with HTML alternatives.
JavaScript and iFrames can be read, but less effectively.

Redirects & Structure

301 Redirects

301 redirects should ensure that users and crawlers can find new equivalents for old pages.
Map redirects so each old URL goes to the most appropriate new URL.

URL Structure

Ensure concise, informative URLs like /services/ rather than /our-service-offering/.

Canonicals

Canonicals prevent duplicate content issues, especially on category pages with filters or sorting.

On-Page Optimisations

Page Titles

Move existing titles across where relevant or optimise them based on traffic and search terms.

Meta Descriptions

Update or move meta descriptions and ensure branding and contact info is current.

Header Tags

Maintain a logical hierarchy for H1, H2, etc., and ensure they remain descriptive.

Content & Design

Menus

Keep internal linking strong with accessible top menus for key pages.

Footer Links

Include useful links like contact, delivery info, and terms in the footer.

Sharing & Social

Add social sharing icons, especially on product or informational pages.

Sitemaps

HTML sitemaps can aid accessibility and prevent orphaned pages.

File/Code Upload

XML Sitemaps

Ensure your sitemap.xml is current, and submit it in Google Search Console for faster crawling.

Search Console Verification

Validate your domain property in Google Search Console and ensure it’s ready post-migration.

Google Analytics Codes

Prepare analytics or Tag Manager codes to track data with minimal interruptions at launch.

Robots.txt

Switch from staging to live robots.txt to allow crawler access.

Technical Considerations

Image Tags

Retain or create Alt Tag descriptions for all images.

Site Speeds

• Use Gzip compression
• Use modern web formats and compress files before upload
• Minify code and update server cache settings

Custom 404 Pages

Create a custom 404 page with helpful navigation or automatic redirection to relevant content.

Summary

Following this whitepaper will help you plan a migration, maintain rankings, and ensure a smooth transition. You’ve got this!

However, should you find something does go wrong, you can chat to our SEO Migration Paramedics or request a Rescue Review.

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